I glare at him, silently begging him to work with me. Now is not the time to give up. “We’re going to go sailing.” I fold my arms over my chest and proudly smile. This is a fantastic idea.
Enzo frowns. “Do you even know how to sail?”
“I grew up in New England. Of course I know how.”
Cortney eyes me like I’m full of shit, but I took sailing lessons when I was a kid. How hard could it be? It’s like riding a bike.
I think.
Turns out,sailing is not like riding a bike.
For the first half hour, the winds were calm and we were stuck at the dock. When the seas finally started to move, and I let the sail loose, Rowan had to go and stand upright.
The boom knocked him into the water, and when he didn’t surface immediately, Kai burst into tears.
Enzo jumped in after Lover Boy, and when they surfaced, it became clear that the hockey star didn’t know how to fucking swim. At least not well. Which meant I had to jump in and help Enzo with a discombobulated Rowan.
Halfway to shore, Rowan finally remembered how to kick his freaking legs. But that left Cortney on board with all the kids, looking about ready to lose it. And I’ve never seen Man Bun lose it. As we hustled back up the dock, his face was bright red, and his free hand was balled into a fist so tight his knuckles turned white.
I snag a towel from a cabinet and toss it to Enzo, then I toss one to Rowan. “Okay, I guess sailing wasn’t the best idea. But I’ll come up with something even better.”
Enzo digs his sopping-wet wallet and dead phone out of his pocket. “I need to figure out how to surprise Delia.”
“Since your phone’s dead and we’ve already used up our bad luck for the day,” Cortney says with a smirk, “maybe take her out for a sunset sail.”
I drag my own towel through my hair roughly. “Jesus, why can’t any of you stay away from your women?”
Pretty Boy Enzo glares at me. “You stole a plane, kidnapped us, and kicked the caretakers out of their own house so you could spy on your wife. Don’t talk to us about being obsessed with our women.”
Well, when he puts it like that…
Chapter 11
Delia
Maybe I’m just bad at relationships.
“Ever think that maybe we can’t have it all?” I pop a grape into my mouth and bite down, relishing the crisp sensation. A brunch spread magically appeared this morning, complete with a make-your-own-mimosa bar.
I’m feeling quite charitable toward Beckett at the moment.
I’m good at many things. Arguing, negotiation, hair-braiding, and chess, to name a few.
But at thirty-six, I’m making peace with the things I’m not so good at. Like small talk, cooking, and maybe being a girlfriend.
I love Enzo. In our time together, my world has opened up in ways I never thought possible. Having a partner to navigate life with has been the most wonderful and unexpected gift.
But I’m fucking it up.Stupid Delia. Stupid anxious, perfectionist brain.
“What do you mean?” Shay sets her almost empty glass down. The green sludge slides down the sides in a way that makes my stomach turn. Naturally, the kitchen is equipped with a Vitamix, so she got right to work this morning.
“I was raised to believe we could be anything and do anything. But maybe that’s just another lie the patriarchy hasforced on women in order to keep us running in circles all our lives. Maybe I can raise my kids and have a great career, but not a partner.”
I excel at my job. Prosecuting criminals is my calling. And I wake up every single day determined to be a good parent. My girls test me and push my limits constantly, but they are the best thing that ever happened to me.
But maybe I’m not cut out for partnership, for romantic love.
“I love Enzo deeply.” My chest constricts, making it hard to breathe. “He is the kind of man I didn’t believe existed. A true unicorn. And I’m fucking it up. I’m ruining everything.”